Album #9: No Geography

[Enjoyed]

I'm curious, does anyone have some additional thoughts or changed feelings about the album? Where does it personally rank now that it's fully assimilated into our blood stream?

It feels short. Having got to know all the songs super well now, I get to No Geography and I already can feel the end coming. "Oh, there's only GTKO, Gravity Drops, then The Universe Sent Me, then We've got to Try..." etc. I do feel a little like pressing play at the start gives a much more finite feeling the whole experience than previous albums did. I'm not saying I forget about tracks in older albums, but the length of Surrender or CWU makes those tracks' arrival feel like a welcome surprise.

I think it's somewhat down to the order of the tracks as well. MAH and Free Yourself right near the end, and Free Yourself being a shorter version. Catch Me I'm Falling also isn't the absolute best closer, which I think most of us can agree on.

Don't get me wrong, the album still slaps super hard and is definitely a magical listening experience. But I couldn't put it higher than maybe 4th, due to that feeling of inevitability attached to it. And that's hard to say about an album with Got To Keep On on it!

[hstn]

Hey, it's nearly 6 months since release!

I see some of the prior posts (before the question I'm about to pose) are still feeling the vibe of 'No Geography'. But I'm curious, does anyone have some additional thoughts or changed feelings about the album? Where does it personally rank now that it's fully assimilated into our blood stream?

The album so far has been associated with some of the happiest memories I've ever made in my life thus far, so in terms of rank it's wayyy up there! (I still bump eve of destruction on the daily)

[neorev]

We need a good b-side or two. Come on, Tom & Ed. Give us some mo beats.

[Bosco]

Thanks for the answers so far guys.


I think I like certain tracks more now than I did upon initial listen. For instance, 'We've Got to Try'. The novelty has worn off a bit. I love the bridge and drop, but within the track, the lead-up to that point is kinda numbing. I think I would prefer this track in a vacuum.

And then on the flip side, 'Free Yourself' is a really solid track despite all the flack it gets. It has stiff competition when you rank it amongst the "pantheon of bangers" the Chemical Brothers have released throughout their career. Not as challenging, but I think it's really fun track, with a great music video to boot!

The perfect woven trio of 'Eve of Destruction', 'Bango', and 'No Geography' sounds really great. But I can sympathize of having that feel of premature ending once No Geography (the track) wraps up. Probably, not the first to say this but the "trio" should have been placed at the end of the album. 'MAH' or 'Free Yourself' would've been totally capable of opening the album and setting the tone. Even 'We've Got to Try' could have done the job, but might have been a bit more divisive of a choice.

I don't like 'Got to Keep On'. I was hoping this would change over time, but I'm still stuck in this mode. It's a strange progression to go from an emotional track ('No Geography) to a quirky dance number fueled by bells and claps ('Got to Keep On'). On its own, It's a interesting disco-y hybrid concept, but I just can't seem to like it how it wants to be enjoyed. 'Fantai' is an improvement in tone, but lacks structure. Sorry guys and gals, I know you love this track...

I ranked it here before, but I still think the album settles somewhere in the bottom 3. It struggles to have a defining track, and nothing from this album is a top track from their collection (although, the self title album track comes close). It keeps itself out of the gutter by having an significant moment with the trio of Eve of Destruction/Bango/No Geography. The collection of songs fits and sounds better as a whole, rather than 'Push the Button' or 'We Are the Night'.

I would recommend the album, just not to a beginner to The Chemical Brothers.

[sandelic]

I don't listen to this album very much lately.
Currently I'm enchanted with Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and even Vera Lynn, so I cannot be bothered with anything else, for now.
But I listen to Catch me if I fall regularly, at least once a day.

Edit: Catch me I'm falling, obviously.
I was very 'relaxed' that day 

[Csar]

Nice of you, Bosco, to bring this topic up again as it reminds me that I've been meaning to write some sort review for quite some time but never got around to it. Maybe soon I'll give it a real shot, so just very briefly: Yes, I still love No Geography and give lots of tracks a fairly regular spin, be it in the car or at home. According to my media player counter I've listened to its title track 49 times alone. So there's that. It's a wonderful album, not without flaws and yes, it's quite short... which I've come to acknowledge isn't necessarily a bad thing! It never drags.

[Herbas]

I treat this album as a designed-for-concerts one. Upon release it felt quite bland to me, no real itches to relisten it again and again.

I started to appreciate this album much more after seeing them live this summer. The new songs sounded just amazing there, easily highlights of the concert for me. Even now, when I occasionnaly listen to their Glastonbury show, I often skip to the new tracks. 'Free Yourself' is entirely a different beast when live.

[whirlygirl]

I still listen to this regularly, or at least because of algorithms, songs from No Geography pop up often when my music is on shuffle.  As a whole, the album is an easily managed (time-wise) bite-sized chunk of happiness and brief escape, if that makes sense. It's what I needed to hear these past few months. Getting to be at their shows was truly a highlight in an otherwise challenging and difficult year. I still like the way I feel when I listen to No Geography, and overall it continues to feel very of-the-moment. How the album ranks I guess depends on where I am and what I'm feeling, at the moment.As for where it ranks in terms of album placement in the span of their career, I dunno. Ranking is tough for me, why the Chems have to make it so hard!

[GLAKO-FAHN]

adore this album, still very much clicks with me. re: 'ranking is tough for me'..that's because ranking emotional connections is lunacy.!! =P

[neorev]

I wish Chems would rework/remix the title track No Geography, especially for live shows. Live, it just needs something more epic and soul lifting to set it off. I wish we got more reworks like they did with Eve Of Dubstruction.

[Born In Planet Dust]

I suppose I could settle for 15 minute version of No Geography. 

[Stefan]

I suppose I could settle for 15 minute version of No Geography.

This

[neorev]

I suppose I could settle for 15 minute version of No Geography.

Hahaha I'm down for that.

I was watching their latest Glastonbury performance and that chopped up soulful uplifting hook came on. It has a great build up, but you kinda expected a different beat/groove to come in when it finally kicks in. No Geography is problem my favorite track on the album, but it's great if Chems made a more funkier, housier version for the live show to keep that uplifting feeling going. 

[MIKL]

Number 2 for Top 50 albums this year. Good effort for an australian indie radio station. Think of it as a BBC radio 6 equivalent or KCRW something like that.

https://www.abc.net.au/doublej/music-reads/features/50-best-albums-of-2019/11757228

For so many years I've just assumed electronic acts would never get top 5 spot in polls like this favouring more guitar based bands but times have been changing since the 90s.

[ThePumisher]

Number 2 for Top 50 albums this year. Good effort for an australian indie radio station. Think of it as a BBC radio 6 equivalent or KCRW something like that.

https://www.abc.net.au/doublej/music-reads/features/50-best-albums-of-2019/11757228

For so many years I've just assumed electronic acts would never get top 5 spot in polls like this favouring more guitar based bands but times have been changing since the 90s.

10. Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow

That is some good stuff to listen to

[inchemwetrust]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! YOUR ONE YEAR OLD AND STILL A GREAT LISTEN!

[Stefan]

Would've missed that! Now I have a birthday listen to look forward to tomorrow 

[satur8]

I cannot believe a year has passed already.

So, I admit to not having purchased any of the remixes for this album: a few are pretty good, but none of them wowed me at first compared to the originals. We've discussed it before, but I'm still old school in that I prefer physical releases and collections, even though I rip them and listen digitally. And also, we are spoiled by streaming services, so that is a trade off I suppose (but I'd rather HOLD them). This past weekend I was listening through my Apple TV and played all of them in a row and have found a renewed appreciation for some now that time has passed. I really wish they were released on a physical collection similar to the Japanese version of Born In The Echoes.

[𝒥𝑅𝒮𝒵]

IT'S BEEN TWO FKN YEARS <3

And I can clearly say, that this one is my second fav one from the bros, right after DYOH.
Still remember, how fkn happy I was, when I got my copy one day before the global release, even got my instagram post liked from the bros themselves, which only doubled the happines.
Must admit, that this album was the one which helped me to deal with overcoming the very hurting accident in my life, so I feel the really emotional link with this one.

Fav tracks 2 years later?

Eve of Destruction (who doesn't love it?, Still hope, that they'll release that beta mix of it tho!)
No Geography (It's such a powerful and fkn beautiful track, I wish it was longer)
MAH (Simillar to the title track, but it's power comes from the totally different source. One of my personal themes)

It's time to blast the album once again <3

[ThePumisher]

IT'S BEEN TWO FKN YEARS <3

quite a time, isn't it? aaaaand time for a new one (pauses between the first four have been shorter...)

Fav tracks 2 years later?

Fantai, No Geography, MAH